The Triumphalism of American Wild West Shows
From the 1880s to the 1930s, hundreds of Wild West shows encouraged white audiences to view Native American culture as a rapidly vanishing curiosity.
How the Rothko Chapel Creates Spiritual Space
Fourteen colossal black paintings by the modern artist Mark Rothko are installed in an octagonal room in Texas. Visitors say the chapel brings them peace.
The War Documentary That Never Was
John Huston's 1945 movie The Battle of San Pietro presents itself as a war documentary, but contains staged scenes. What should we make of it?
The New Nomads of #VanLife Reflect an Enduring Divide
A distinctly American restlessness is inspiring some to abandon the idea of a permanent home, while others are displaced by harsh realities.
The Art of Digital Addiction
Digital addiction is inspiring plays, books, films, and art -- just as other forms of addiction have in the past.
A Mini History of the Tiny Purse
The purse has always been political, a reflection of changing economic realities and gender roles.
The Legendary Language of the Appalachian “Holler”
Is the unique Appalachian dialect the preserved language of Elizabethan England? Left over from Scots-Irish immigrants? Or something else altogether?
Iris Origo’s Italian War Diary
The marchese's 1939-1940 diary, detailing the months before Italy's armed alliance with Nazi Germany, is now available as A Chill in the Air.
7 Pieces of Expert Writing Advice
Great fiction-writing advice and commiseration from novelists that we dug out of the JSTOR vaults for you procrastinating, er, research pleasure.
When Did Colonial America Gain Linguistic Independence?
By the time the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, did colonial Americans still sound like their British counterparts?